Antique Knitted Boy Doll, New England shops Cloth Doll

shops This is an 18 1/2" doll knitted entirely from head to toe and stuffed with cotton. In the second photo, he is shown with two friends who are available in separate listings in my shop. This fellow's arms are separately attached, and his features both painted and embroidered. He has a red cap, collar, and stitched buttons and his brown shoes were added separately. He has some small moth holes, fading and wear to his nose. He was most likely based on a Nov. 19, 1892, Harper's Bazaar pattern for a knitted boy doll that is quite similar. The instructions advised the reader to use 4 steel knitting needles and guaranteed a "reliable set of instructions", but the reader could use different colors of wool or add their own embellishments. Apparently, they were quite popular as I keep finding variations of this doll. I love grouping them in a basket as they seem so cheerful.